Mobility Saves highlighted at AOPA National Assembly

LAS VEGAS — Anita Liberman-Lampear, MA, administrative director of orthotics and prosthetics at the University of Michigan Health System, emphasized the importance of the Mobility Saves program during the opening remarks at the American Orthotic & Prosthetic Association National Assembly.

“To limit capability means to limit mobility, and that is why we have to reshape the thinking [of policymakers],” she said. “The Mobility Saves program provides … the ammunition to not only save money, but to save lives. It is a powerful piece for insurers, referring sources and patients.”

Adrianne Haslet-Davis, current member of the Mobility Saves program and transitibial amputee who lost her leg in the Boston Marathon bombings, highlighted the importance of the program and spoke about having resolve in the O&P field.

Adrianne Haslet-Davis

“We all suffer loss at some time in our lives,” she said. “Whether it is the loss of coverage for patients, the loss of a job or the loss of a loved one. This program is not just for those of us coping with limb loss, it is for everyone.”

Haslet-Davis has been working closely with AOPA and the Mobility Saves program, and continues to be a leader for amputee community.

“I know that in her own way and by her rising prominence, Adrianne will continue to be one of our most energized and forceful advocates,” Liberman-Lampear said. “Her story shows how…payers, policymakers, CMS officials and Congress can benefit by providing suitable technology for every patient.” — by Shawn M. Carter